Heartless
by Marukaite Chikyuu Doitsu
Summary: He heard her talk, the coldest story ever told. And to think, he'd given up his soul for her love. When Chase is captured, can he work out past tensions between Kagome and himself, or is he too heartless?
1. Chapter 1

MCD: A request from kakashixangela~! I just thought of this pretty kewl idea so ja~ Oh, and I'll be doing a Germany/Kag soon, but I can't remember who requested that, for all of my InuTalia fans out there~ well, here we go~!

**(~*~)**

"Chase Young and master Monk Guan were once the best of friends. But Hannibal found a way to come between them. He knew Chase Young's weakness was his-"

**BOOM!**

Dojo gave a girly scream and was pushed forward, toward the young monks, as a shock wave of energy blasted through the temple. The young warriors covered their faces and waited until the sudden energy surge passed.

"What in tarnation was that?" Clay asked, pulling his hat down from his head to scratch at the blond locks. Raimundo stood up and growled, punching his hand, ready for battle.

"I dunno, but it obviously can't be good." the Brazilian announced. Omi stood up from his spot on the floor, frowning.

"Raimundo is most certainly correct. We must go to the source and find the end of this!" he shouted and raced out the door without a second thought. Kimiko stood up and the remaining four shared a look.

"I'm guessing "get to the bottom of this" is what he meant." Kimiko shrugged.

~!~

"Look! It is Chase Young fighti- WAAAAH~!" Omi shouted as Dojo swerved. The other monks yelled and hung on for dear life as the over-sized dragon made a serpentine through the air.

"We have to get out of here as fast as we can!" the airborne dragon shouted, but Clay grabbed the beast's large, green, feather-shaped hair and pulled them back as if it were the reins on a cattle. Dojo whined at the pain and skidded to a stop on the ground about a hundred feet away from the fighting duo in the grassy field. Amidst tall green trees, Dojo shrunk and paid no attention to the warriors' shouts of indignation.

"Gotta get out of here, gotta get out of- GACK!" he muttered feverishly as he slithered away, only to have his tail grabbed firmly and dragged back to the group awaiting information.

"Gotcha! Now, what are you actin' so weird about, gecko?" Raimundo questioned Dojo, holding him up to his face by the tail. The small reptile squirmed uncomfortably.

"H-hey! I'm not acting weird! You're pro-probably just imagining th-things, yeah-" he tried to answer, but Raimundo would have none of it. He shook Dojo back and forth, making him wail, until he started shouting.

"OKAY OKAY! I'll tell you why I don't wanna go out there!" Dojo begged, clasping his scaly hands together. "Just put me down!"

"Deal." the warrior of the wind agreed and simply dropped the dragon onto the grassy ground with an "oomph", via the reptile.

Dojo sighed and sat upright, taking a moment to dust himself off before glaring at the warrior-in-training.

"If you EVER do that AGAIN, I will PERSONALLY make you scrub the entire temple!" the small dragon warned. Raimundo rolled his eyes and Kimiko smacked him.

"Now, if you'll just follow me," Dojo said, moving out of the small forest and slithering behind a rock. He perched himself on it and motioned the four to follow him. "You'll see why I didn't want to come here." he grumbled under his breath and the four Xiaolin warriors walked over to him, ducking down so as not to be noticed by the fighting duo out in the middle of the field.

"Grahhh!" Chase Young shouted in frustration, swinging his fist back as far as he could before launching it at his opponent. It surprised the monks, however, that such a collected fighter would mouth his anger during a battle.

All was for naught, it seemed for Chase, though. As his fist was a hair's breath away from the mysterious figure, they vanished, and reappeared behind and above the Heylin warrior. The person brought it's foot down on the unsuspecting villain's back and forced him into the ground face-first with a shocked cry.

"Sitting dog!" they faintly heard from their position a about a hundred feet away. It was too far to determine the gender because the voice was too quiet, but it impressed them nonetheless that this person could land such a hit on the infamous man.

"Butter me up and call me a biscuit, but I think this person is better than Chase!" Clay muttered in awe, clapping his hat to his chest in respect. Omi's mouth hung open as he watched.

Surprisingly, instead of beating the grounded Chase further, the figure jumped backwards to avoid falling on him and simply stood there, watching, as Chase jumped up in a fit of rage.

"How dare you!" he shouted, running towards the figure at an impossible speed. He suddenly jumped into the air and was right above the person clad in a vague green changshan with white pants.

"Descending crane!" he shouted, posing in midair, before swing his foot down, probably to crack down on the person's rice-hat-adorned head, but the figure moved too quickly.

"Coral's boomerang!" the voice shouted, louder this time -definitely a female-, and grabbed Chase's foot. She planted her feet firmly on the ground and swung Chase around by his foot, waiting until she decided he had gained enough momentum, and sent him spinning through the air like a boomerang. Chase, however, landed sideways on the trunk of a tree, scowling for a split second before spring-boarding off of the poor plant.

"Frog's tongue!" he declared and roughly grabbed the woman's hand, still in the air from throwing him. He latched onto her tightly, making sure there was no escape for her. He landed sideways on his feet and used the leftover inertia to swing her over his shoulder, intending on slamming her on her back into the ground, but it appeared she had other plans.

"Youkai's trickery." she said quietly and his eyes widened as she landed, crouching on the ground, and grasped his hand just as tightly. She threw him over her head and he flew, slamming his back into a nearby boulder. He fell to the ground and slumped at the base of the boulder, groaning his discomfort.

The woman slowly stood from her crouching position and glanced over to where they were standing. They all stared in shocked awe, minus one suspicious reptile. She raised her hand to her mouth and whistled, beckoning them to her.

"Wha- wuh, what_ was _that!_?_" Omi shouted, running up the woman eagerly. She smiled at him, and although he couldn't see the upper half of his face because of the rice hat, her smile made him blush. Abruptly a hand chopped on his big head and he fell to the ground, eyes swirling.

"I'm sorry, ma'am; Omi here can get pretty excited and he doesn't pay attention. Mind your manners, dummy!" Kimiko hissed in his ear. The woman laughed and it played on the breeze like bells.

"I don't mind, young Xiaolin warriors. Curiosity is a natural part of youth, especially to those who wish to become stronger, like you, young Omi." she giggled and he kicked his toe into the ground bashfully. Clay and Rai shared a look and rolled their eyes.

"Aaanyway, what is a pretty little lady like you doin' out here all alone, fighting someone like Chase?" Raimundo changed the subject before Omi started to brag. Kimiko shot him a look but said nothing.

"Well, if you must know, I have some unfinished business with Young-san over here." Her tone turned sad and she added, "I'd rather not get into it, as it is rather depressing business." Raimundo closed his mouth and nodded. She froze for a moment and inclined her hat to the four, although they could still not see her eyes, it was clear they had her attention.

"Wait a minute, if you're the Xiaolin warriors, which I'm positive you are, judging by your garb, does that mean that Dojo is here?" she asked and the group of warriors blinked at each other, confused. What business would this woman have with someone like Dojo?

Clay felt his hat vibrate on his head and he sighed in exasperation. Lifting his hat up, he grabbed the serpent-like dragon before he could slither away. Dojo yelped and tried to scramble out of the earth warrior's hand, but all in vain. Clay presented the shaking dragon to the woman.

"H-h-hey, K-kags!" Dojo laughed nervously, scratching behind his large green ears. "Long t-time no s-see!"

"Kags" frowned and glared so hard at the small dragon that he could feel it through her hat. He shuddered. Aw _crud._

"Dojo-" she paused and sighed in exasperation. "Just a sec," She said, confusing the small group.

Kags abruptly flipped backwards and into the air, spinning then righting herself to land gracefully on Chase's back. He groaned at the new weight and collapsed in the spot where he had been crawling, sneaking up on her. Kagome sighed sadly and pinched the bridge of her nose. Chase gathered enough energy to glare up at her from the corner of his eyes.

"You never did have much patience, Chase." Kags reprimanded him and he scowled. Kagome lifted her hand up and in a small flash of pink, a piece of paper appeared. She took it between her index and middle finger, then gently leaned down and stuck it to his forehead. Chase's eyes rolled upward and he went limp, sleeping deeply.

The four Xiaolin warriors stared at her with wide eyes, surprised at the current events. Kagome looked up at them after she had stepped off of Chase and sighed. Dojo, however, looked almost bored, examining his claws.

"Kagome, looks like _you _have some explaining to do." The dragon hummed and Kagome rolled her eyes and her head. _Fool. _

"Fine. But you do too, Dojo." She countered and picked up Chase's limp body, carefully sliding him onto her back as if he were a backpack. She let his arms slide over her shoulders and pulled his legs around her waist by the thighs, making it look like she was giving him a piggy-back ride. The Xiaolin warriors stared at her and she huffed impatiently.

"Well? Which direction is the temple?"

~!~

Kagome sipped her tea calmly as Master Fung sighed.

"Yes, that was most wise of you, Kagome. I'm glad that you've gained batter control of your powers. But…" he trailed, looking to the slumbering body of Chase Young, Heylin warrior, asleep on a bamboo mat against the wall, "…Did you really have to bring him in here?" Kagome gave the barest hint of a smile.

"I apologize for my unexpected arrival, and his, Master Fung. But I assure you, he will not be here for long." She bowed to him as she apologized, but he held up a hand, motioning for her to stop.

"It is no problem, my friend. I was just surprised that you would still wish to be in his presence." He commented. She snorted in an unladylike manner and he raised a thin eyebrow in question.

"Fung-kun, he is still a person, despite his choices in life. He might not be on your side, but he still has a heart, even if it is only half human." She said. He showed a small smile, but it puzzled him how tolerant she could be. He often wondered what happened those days that she had been gone.

Someone yelped and the door to their private room slid open, revealing four Xiaolin warriors. Master Fung raised an eyebrow again, unimpressed at his pupils. Kagome refrained from snickering as Omi jumped up and babbled, trying to proclaim his innocence, when he had probably been the first one to try and peek.

~!~

"Kagome, how do you know Master Fung and Chase Young? And why would you trust him so much as to let him come onto the property with that sticky on his forehead?" Omi asked her, sitting Indian-style across from her. Kagome smiled at his outburst, and set her tea down. She motioned for the other monks to listen.

"I think I'll tell you a story." She said cryptically and subconsciously, they all leaned in to hear.

"Long ago, there was a young girl who was the plaything of destiny. She had been given many special gifts; a special, rare power that made her a valuable ally; the power to travel through time with the help of an odd portal; and a group of the greatest friends that anyone could ever ask for. But, in reconciliation, she was also put through many trials; she lost her chance to get an education at a rather young age; she watched hundreds, probably thousands, die, and had to fight heart-wrenching battles; she was betrayed, time and time again, by the one that she loved most. That, however, is a tale for another time.

"However, one day, the portal she used to travel through time sent her to a completely different place and era. She ended up in a land so foreign to her, she could not even speak the language, let alone make friends in this strange land. By pure luck, she stumbled upon a group of three great warriors. Xiaolin warriors to be exact- their names were Master Dashi, warrior Chase, and warrior Guan." The monks' eyes lit up in recognition and she smiled bitterly. "They were the kindest warriors she had ever known. They took her in, taught her the language, made friends with her, and she became like a part of their family, since she was unable to return to the group of friends she had made. In return, she helped them out in whatever way she could; she did household duties for them while they were off collecting powerful items called Shen Gong Wu; she helped heal their wounds with her special powers; she even fought parts of their battles with them.

"She loved living with these kind warriors, but she loved living with one of them particular; she had taken a fancy to the one called Chase. As time passed, she found herself more and more in love with him, and although she knew he liked her back at least a little bit, she never acted upon it. She did this because she was afraid of getting her heart broken again, as she had with one of her other friends: again, that is a tale for another time.

"But as that time passed, she had not realized that he loved her just as much, if not more than she loved him. But instead of worrying over this love, he acted the opposite that she had. He became very jealous of the other warrior, who he thought she paid more attention to. He thought that she was becoming very infatuated with Guan instead of himself, and he grew bitterly jealous. Not to mention the fact that he had already been straying to the side of Heylin under temptation of incredible power.

"Chase wanted to be more powerful than Guan, not only to become the Xiaolin Dragon, but also to impress the woman that had so suddenly come into his life. He wanted her to be impressed with his power, and he thought that she would love him for that. He didn't know that she already loved him. He was so wrong." Kagome shook her head and took a moment to steady herself, for she was shaking slightly.

"She was shocked when she found out that he had left her side to join the Heylin. She blamed herself and refused to fight against him, although he kept beckoning her to come to him, kept calling for her. One day she became so distressed by this confounded love that she ran away from all of it and back to the spot where she had appeared in this world. She ran to a water well and cast herself into it, disappearing, obviously thought to be dead. The Heylin, Chase, blamed the Xiaolin, Guan, and their rivalry grew in tension.

"But the woman was not dead, she was still very much alive. She was living on her side of the portal once more, with the friends that believed her to have abandoned her. She was accepted once more into their lives, but she never stopped thinking about the world and the man she left behind. As time passed, she defeated her archenemy and, by some wicked magic of a falsely sacred object, gained immortality, when all she wanted was peace, even if it was in the afterlife.

"So she set off for her own time period. She lived there for a number of years, but she was tired of living like nothing exciting had ever happened. So one day, she ran out in her impulsiveness to the very well that allowed her to travel through time, and jumped in without another thought. By chance, she was transported centuries back into time to the other world that she had left behind, the one full of the Heylin and Xiaolin.

"When she found out that most of the people she had known had passed, she wept, but cheered when she heard of warrior Guan's and warrior Chase's living. She was contradicted, of course; she simply couldn't choose which friend she should greet and which she should shun. She didn't like this idea, but fortunately- or rather, unfortunately- the Heylin Chase found her before she could decide. He begged her and demanded things of her, but she did not respond. She was too afraid to get involved.

"One night, though, he took her to his dark mansion and lavished her with gorgeous gifts of beautiful animals, jewelries, clothing of unimaginable worth, and he even offered his life to her: he wanted them to marry, so that he may never lose her again, in all his immortal life. But she refused. She had made her decision. The man she had once known was long gone, and although her heart still ached for him, she could not come to terms with his Heylin ways. He became furious. She, against her better judgment, barely struggled against things he did to her… things she'd rather not repeat.

"She fled from him and ran to Guan, who welcomed her with open arms, despite her impurity and shameful deeds. He took care of her and protected her from the hands of the one she had loved. He became her best friend and her greatest ally. After a while, though, she found herself to be homesick, and with his farewells, cast herself into the well again, returning to her own time, since the past she had once visited was now cut off from her.

"There she lived for many years, moving from place to place so that no one would notice her unaging self, and became the defender of the common people. She cured them of their diseases, protected then against beasts from years past, and worked miracles that they praised her for. But every few decades, she would reappear to the world of the Heylin and Xiaolin, just to make sure everything was passing pleasantly and peacefully. She, despite her often disappearances, was still good friends with warrior Guan.

"And even now, despite her better judgment, she still loves Chase, but it is not as profound as before. But it is hopeless- he's grown so very bitter and spiteful because of her rejection. They are great enemies. She can't help but feel that even though he hates her, he might still have some feelings of affection for her. But from the battle they had just last week, she's losing sight of hope- fast. She still wanders around to this day.

"Also, for as to why she knows Master Fung, she has made friends with all of the Xiaolin Masters over the past few centuries. It is her way of carrying on the tradition she set for herself all those years ago."

Kagome finished and took a sip of her tea. Everything was dead silent before Clay whistled in awe, leaning back. Omi's small eyes widened with realization and he jumped up, pointing at her.

"But that must mean that you are the person in the story-!" his eyes widened to an unimaginable size and he grabbed his cheeks, staring at her as if she were his idol.

"Wow! PLEEAASSEE tell us the other stories! The ones that you said were for another time! I-"

Chase suddenly pushed off from his spot where he leaned against the wall, just outside of the door to Kagome and the monks' room. He stared at the floor, arms crossed over his chest, and walked away, thinking deeply.

Kagome turned her head ever so slightly as she heard him leave. She sighed silently until she was caught up to Omi's rapid talking, and she smiled slightly.

~!~

"Repulse the monkey!" Chase shouted as he trained. He stopped Kagome's attack midair, but instead of falling, she simply flipped backwards a few times and landed elegantly on her toes, as if she hadn't just been attacked at all. Chase frowned at this.

"Deceive the monkey." She said. In a puff of smoke, he was suddenly surrounded by many different Kagomes. He looked around, remembering-

Kagome in her original school-girl-green out fit, tattered like it was when she first came; a young Kagome, wearing a small yellow sundress, so adorable he wanted to steal it away; Kagome in her changshan and white pants, possibly the one that had done this; and the one that ripped his heart out, Kagome in his old blue training shirt. It made him die a little on the inside.

"Daughter of the dog." She exclaimed from all sides, her clones saying it as well. His eyes went wide as all of their hands clasped each others' and they started to glow with magic. Another puff of smoke and he coughed, waving it away from his face. When he looked through the smoke, though, he nearly fainted.

A _huge fucking _dog stood in front of him, snarling. It was white with red, demonic eyes and had a purple crescent moon on its' forehead. He would've laughed at the poofy ears and tail if he hadn't been scared out of his mind for his opponent's well being.

Chase sighed and held the wooden stick out to his side, parallel to him, and let it drop with a tapping sound that only reminded him of defeat.

"I give up, Kagome. You have once again outsmarted me." He uttered the words he'd always promised he would change around. A sense of failure washed over him and his stared at the ground in shame.

He heard the dog snort and a final poof of smoke covered the courtyard, spreading out like a mist. A silhouetted figure appeared and he stared at it. Kagome flicked her wrist and the smoke dissipated, leaving her in his line of sight. He very nearly heaved his chest with relief at the sight of her without any defects from the powerful form, but he held himself high, despite his defeat.

Kagome walked toward him and stopped when she was next to him. She glanced to the sutra she'd changed from his forehead to his neck. It circled around the important body part, sealing his powers for his and her stay at the temple, just in case. She gently touched the sacred paper seal and felt him wince the tiniest bit. She didn't smile. Kagome traced the sutra around his neck, stopping when she couldn't move around, and went back, making sure it was secure.

Distractedly, she graced her finger down to the hollow of his neck and then out, down to his chest, where she placed her hand. Still as firm and muscular as it had been before. She almost smiled. Kagome sighed and patted his chest softly. He watched her but did not dare move. She lost her slightly cheery thought and removed her hand from him, placing it in the other sleeve of her changshan behind her and walked away, stopping halfway in the sliding door of the temple. She turned her head to glance at him. He stared at the ground now, looking defeated and unhappy. She closed her eyes and slid the door shut behind her. Maybe she was wrong about him.

Chase heard the door click closed behind him and shuddered, the feel of her touch on his body igniting long dormant urges and feelings within him. The spots where she had touched him tingled with the energy that emanated from her hand and he shivered at the raw feel of it. He glared at the ground and cursed himself. His fists clenched tighter.

~!~

"Hey, Kags?" he felt himself twitch a minuscule at the informality. "What was your life like back in your era?" Raimundo asked curiously. Chase himself blinked as he heard the question. He'd never thought of that.

"Hahaha!" she laughed, her rice hat lifting up slightly. They didn't know what was so funny. "Rai," she chuckled, setting her tea down. Why did it seem she always had a cup of it? "This _is _my era!" the Xiaolin monks gaped at her in surprise. Chase even snapped open his eyes from his spot over by the far wall where he was supposed to be focusing. _What? _How did _that _work?

"But how is that possible?" Omi asked, tilting his dome-like head sideways in curiosity. Kagome smiled and patted his head.

"Well, I am about five hundred years old, give or take a few decades." she said, making them all fall over in shock. "But, technically, I was only _born _a few decades ago."

"Care to explain how that works out, Miss Kagome?" Clay asked, scratching his head, making his hat move. Kagome smiled and waved her hand dismissively at him.

"Please, just call me Kagome. Miss Kagome makes me feel as old as I am." She giggled and Clay blushed pink, nodding.

"Well, do you remember the story I told you last week?" eager nods. "Remember the parts about the portal that allow me to travel through time?" more positive nods. "That is how I'm this old."

"You see, I stayed in the era five hundred years ago- not in this place, but back in my old home- after I was made immortal by the jewel, the object that I had been working so hard to get rid of. I was born in the 20th century, but when I was fifteen was the first day I used the portal." She said, surprising them all. "Then I went back in time and back to my time and all that jazz, but like the story, I was thrown into this world for almost a year. If that was _that _long ago, and I was fifteen, just imagine how old I would really be if I had stayed here for all of those years?" she huffed.

"_I _can't even do that math. I was stuck between three worlds, you see? In one I was fifteen, in one I was negative four-hundred-and-some odd number, and in this one… ugh, my head hurts." She laughed. "But since the first day I used the well, it's been 500 years, if I accumulate all the years of all the different time periods." She finished cryptically. Omi, who had been standing, now swayed on the spot with swirly eyes.

"Oww. My head is most puzzled at your maths." He groaned and Kagome giggled.

"So am I, Omi, so am I."

Chase rolled his eyes. Stupid monks.

But at least he knew something about her now, which he'd never have been able to ask because of his pride…

~!~

Kagome helped clean the grounds of the temple with the monks. She hummed while she worked, smiling, and it brightened the young warriors' moods about cleaning. Chase sat on the top step of the temple, meditating. Every so often, though, one of his golden eyes would peek open and his gaze would be attracted to the small miko.

A sudden wind blew harshly and Kagome frowned, reaching up to grab her rice hat-

"Oh no!" she gasped as it flew out of her grasp and landed a few feet away. The monks turned to see what was the matter and so did the Heylin warrior-

And their jaws dropped.

"Dangit," Kagome mumbled, her silky, blue-tinted raven hair tumbling down her shoulders in delicate waves and slight curls, shining intensely from the light of the sun. Her clear sapphire eyes, now revealed to them, shone with even the slightest hint of annoyance. Her cute, button nose crinkled and she pouted, walking over to the spot where her hat had been blown to. When she grabbed it and looked back up, holding it to her chest, she blinked innocently at the monks' reactions.

Clay stared unabashedly at her, flushing pink, frozen as he stared at her. Raimundo's eyes had gone wide and his jaw _literally _dropped to the ground in shock, his mouth open as wide as a doorway. Omi was staring at her, open-mouthed, his eyes unusually wide and sparkling. Kimiko blinked rapidly, wondering what type of cosmetics she used to get such a beautiful pale complexion…

Chase stared at her from his spot at the temple steps, his heart giving a painful lurch at the sight of her. How long had it been since he had seen those sparkling, wide windows to her soul? When was the last time he had tapped her nise playfully or touched her cheek tenderly, the one to comfort her? How long had it been since he last longed to kiss those rosy lips of hers-?

'_Stop it!' _he thought and forcefully turned away from her. He **needed **to rid himself of these thoughts! He was a proud Heylin warrior of great status, wealth, and power. He had a reputation to uphold!

And yet, when greeted by his past, he had so easily been enraptured by the enigma that was Kagome Higurashi.

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

He suppressed a growl as the one called Raimundo tried suavely to make passes at her while the cueball spoke in awe of her beauty, the young female bombarded her with questions about _'cosmetics'_, whatever they were, and the big earth oaf just looked to the ground shyly.

~!~

Master Fung gave a visible twitch as Kagome walked into his room, minus one large rice hat, the monks trailing after her like lost puppies. She smiled in apology and slight disgust as she saw that she had interrupted Dojo's "Master Fung toe-nail clipping time." The sides of his mouth twitched up in a small smile.

"Ah, so I see you have chosen to reveal yourself?" he murmured and she snorted.

"More like an unwilling appearance, but it _is _nice to be able to see everyone's faces when I talk to them now." She giggled and he smiled softly, shooing the pouting dragon away from his feet. He stood up and walked towards her, tucking his hands into his long sleeves.

"I must say, you look most beautiful without it. Just as lovely as the first time I saw you like this." A splash of red stood out against his pale skin and Kagome laughed, pecking the Master's cheek sweetly.

"Don't tell me that you still have a crush on me, Master Fung?" she asked playfully and he looked away, the heat on his face becoming more profound. "Such a long time! What were you- fifteen the first time you saw me without my hat?" she laughed and he closed his eyes, smiling. He still enjoyed the sound.

However, the sound of the monks' shrieks of surprise and their thumps to the floor, accompanied by the sound of glass shattering and low growling in the hallway, were definitely _not _on his list of enjoyed sounds.

~!~

Kagome breathed softly as Chase sat next to her, watching her meditate.

After a few minutes and she could still feel his gaze on her face, her eyes fluttered open to look fondly at the scenery in front of her. This place had such beautiful land- a small, winding river, foreign trees that complimented the landscape, the light sound of animals tittering and tweeting in the background…

"Yes, Chase?" she murmured. He averted his eyes to the same scene she looked to.

"…Why is it that you were so sad and disappointed that I changed?"

Kagome snapped her head to look at him, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Chase,-" she said in a warning tone, letting him know that he was treading on delicate waters.

"Kagome." He cut her off, countering her with a haughty stare, his chin held high. They were locked in a staring match, neither backing down for a few moments. As if he hadn't known what he was doing! Kagome seriously underestimated him now.

Finally, the little miko sighed and turned back to the scenery, fingering the rim of the rice hat that had lain by her side as she meditated, now in her lap. She took a moment to compose herself under Chase's scrutinizing stare before opening her delicate lips.

"The man that I hated with all of my life- the arch enemy that I had to defeat, and eventually gained my immortality because of him-… I never told you _his _story, did I?" she murmured sourly. He blinked at her, surprised.

"…No, no you had not…" he trailed, not quite sure what he had to do with this- besides the fact that Chase wanted to pound his face in until he was an unrecognizable pulp.

Kagome sighed once more and rubbed her temples with her fingers and continued.

"He did the same thing that you did, Chase." She explained coldly. He blinked at her, waiting for her to go on. "Unlike you, he was bad from the beginning, and killed and murdered and every terrible act imaginable. One day he was fatally injured. That is where the differences end." She glanced at him, an unnatural serious expression pasted to her face.

"He was helped out by a priestess- my incarnation, to be exact- and fell in love, or lust, with her, whichever sounds better. Probably both. He longed for her, but when he found out that she loved someone other than him, he sacrificed his body, mind, and soul to youkai- the demons of my world- and became stronger. He eventually killed her and her lover out of jealousy and rage, unable to control himself because of his new powers.

"When I found out what you had done because of your foolish emotions and decision, I was sad, disappointed, angry, at myself and you: I was an entire mess of emotions because I knew that history was repeating itself. I hated myself for causing it and I hated you for actually believing…" she shook her head, her tone turning bitter and remorseful.

Chase gripped his armored legs and growled low, an animalistic sound that reminded Kagome too much of a half-demon for her liking.

"_Foolish?" _he hissed, glaring at the ground in front of him. She winced at his tone. "_You _were _sad, disappointed, angry!_?_" _he snapped furiously. He turned to her, glaring at her with full force.

"Just imagine how _I _felt!" he shouted at her, rising to take a knee. "I highly _doubt _that you knew what _I _felt! You rejected me when I sacrificed everything for you! My life, my beliefs, my _humanity!_" he shouted at the woman. "Do you have _any _clue how much I _loved _you!_?_ So much that I even turned myself into a beast of the opposite side so that you might look upon me as something more than a friend!" Kagome flinched as the words pierced her very heart. Tears silently slipped down her cheeks and she closed her eyes, her thick black lashes glistening with the salty liquid.

"_Inuyasha."_ She whispered and clenched the area of the changshan above her heart, as if trying to grasp her heart and stop the suffering. But the final blow came with his departing words.

"Bah, despicable girl!" he shouted, shooting to his feet. "Even after all of my sacrifices, my crushed feelings, my destroyed life- you _still _think about him! And in my _presence!_" he laughed bitterly, throwing his head back and facing the heavens.

"Ungrateful woman." He finally hissed and stormed off. Kagome's will broke and she sobbed, biting her lip so hard that the coppery taste of blood invaded her senses.

Kagome move the rice hat back onto her head as rain started to fall, slowly at first, but slowly escalating until it was pouring and she was soaked to the bone. The sound of the animals in the forest had been replaced with the gloomy sound of far-off thunder. The calm waters of the brook were disturbed with the pounding of the rain. The bright green trees were shaking with the wind and the weight of the water in their branches.

Kagome sobbed and wept, tear tracks still clearly visible through the rain. Had she really acted like that when she confronted Inuyasha about Kikyo? Had she really been so _awful_? So cruel, so icy-hearted? Kagome could only wonder how her friends still thought of highly of her after she acted like that- always agreeing with her, placing the blame on Inuyasha and his two-faced ways, when all he had been doing was loving?

Kagome stayed there for a while later, her mood rapidly declining with the pounding rain that soaked her and chilled her so thoroughly. When she finally got up and returned to the temple grounds, the monks greeted her with worried expressions and caring and kindness. She smiled fakely from under her rice hat, emptily reassuring them that she would be okay and that she was fine with her sopping wet clothes.

She excused herself early and walked to her room, breaking into a fresh set of tears when she passed Chase's temporary room and found that he wasn't there.

~!~

MCD: Whoo! So much longer than I expected it to be- and there's a second part coming! I got so into this~ I'm so proud of myself~ Hopefully the second part will up soon! Again, kudos to kakashixangela for the inspiration! *pops streamers everywhere*


	2. Chapter 2

MCD: Here's part two, just like I promised! I hope you guys love it! I was so happy to see all of the reviews and stuff coming in!

**~!~**

Clay watched as Chase beat the non-existent snot out of the practice dummy. Even with all of his powers sealed by Kagome's sutra, he was still a force to be reckoned with. His eyes wandered to the miko, who was playing some game or other with Omi, smiling and laughing freely. She had gone back to wearing the rice hat, he noticed. That was unfortunate. He rather enjoyed seeing her bright blue eyes in the morning.

He glanced back at Chase and was surprised to see that the Heylin warrior was looking pointedly at Kagome. He shook his head and went back to training, but Clay would notice that every once and a while, his so-called enemy's gaze wandered to the immortal woman.

Clay scratched his head beneath his hat. He had also noticed that things between Kagome and Chase were tenser as of late. Whenever he would enter a room, Kagome would discreetly leave. When Kagome walked by Chase, they blatantly ignored each other and continued on with their daily lives, as opposed to the soft moments when Chase would share a smile or a glance, and on rare occasions, a light touch, with the beautiful priestess.

The Xiaolin warrior of the earth grinned. This could possibly be his chance to win over Kagome! Truth be told, he was pretty fond of her kind and tender ways, not to mention that she was easy on the eyes. Clay wasn't interested intimately –or shallowly, mind you—but he was definitely willing to try and pursue something with the beautiful lady.

Feeling a glare burn into his skull, Clay shuddered and moved quickly away from Chase. It was like he could sense these types of thoughts about Kagome…

**~!~**

Chase growled as he pounded the defenseless dummy. If only he had his powers… the straw doll would be ripped into oblivion by now!

Chase paused in his training once again to try and rip the sutra off of his neck. It electrocuted his fingers and he hissed as smoke rose from the blasted strip of paper. He frowned and resumed training with the dummy, but all the while, he was really thinking about Kagome…

He really hadn't meant to be so harsh as to make her cry. Really! But why couldn't she just get the _fuck _out of love with that damn half-breed? Everything would be so much simpler if she just forgot about him. The past was the past!

Chase hesitated, his fist a few feet away from the doll. What if… what if _he _had been considered Kagome's past? And she had just forgotten him and all that he did because of her- no, that sounded accusing, _for _her- so that she could join the Xiaolin side permanently? His fist clenched painfully, his nails digging into his palm. Snapping out of his reverie at the pain, Chase punched the dummy half-heartedly.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he frowned, his thin brows furrowing. Looking around, he saw the earth oaf staring at Kagome, paused in his work. Chase felt a tic form on his head and he sent a killing glare at the Xiaolin monk. He shivered and resumed his work, hurriedly moving away. Chase smirked and gave the dummy a satisfied punch without looking, knocking it to the ground.

**~!~**

"What the…?" Chase growled and grabbed the paper airplane from its spot on the ground, after having successfully poked him in the head. Unfolding it, his frown deepened.

_The Fray- Heartless_

Chase blinked at the offending piece of paper. What did a fight have to do without being heartless? Unless, of course, it meant ripping out / stabbing / cutting open someone's heart. But then what use would this paper be of?

Golden, cat-like eyes scrolling down the page, he slowly processed the words. A few here and there he did not know what to make of, like "_homies_", "_groove_", and "_yo_". Others stood out like a sore thumb for a reason, like the set of words;

"_In the night, I hear 'em talk,  
>the coldest story ever told<br>Somewhere far along this road, he lost his soul to a woman so heartless...  
>How could you be so heartless?<br>Oh... How could you be so heartless?"_

What the hell was this, poetry? What would _he _be doing with poetry? Anyway, even if it was poetry, the spelling was absolutely atrocious…

The one called Raimundo strolled up to him, hands in his pockets, and glanced at the paper. Feigning innocence, he blinked and looked over Chase's shoulder.

"Heartless? The cover by the Fray? What…" Raimundo lost his innocent look and grinned broadly, stretching his hands behind his head. "Ah, way to go, man! You're gonna sing to Kags?" he smirked.

Chase glared at the monk. Although he did not know what "cover" meant, he easily guessed that "The Fray" was the name of a band. Well that was a stupid name. If this was a romance song, then why would this "band" name itself after a battle? He never did understand humans' minds.

"No," the Heylin warrior hissed venomously. "I will _not _be serenading her. And her name is _not "Kags"_, it is _Kagome. _Ka-go-me." Chase huffed and stalked away from the angry Xiaolin monk, smirking.

He would revel in his victory against the monk in the name of his love, no matter how small the victory.

**~!~**

Chase hopped from roof to roof of the various structures on the monks' grounds. He was, for lack of a more eloquent word, _bored._ So, he figured, he might as well—

"Aaahahahahahaha!"

Chase nearly tripped at the sound of the obnoxious laughter.

_Oh. God. **No. **_

"Anything but this, anything but this, anything but this…" Chase groaned immaturely and stopped on the roof, closing his eyes. Slowly he turned towards the source of the annoying sound and opened his eyes.

He cursed, colorfully.

"It is I, _the _Jack Spicer, Evil Boy Genius! Aaha hahahahaha!" the _actual _Heylin warrior resisted the urge to fall to his knees, crying to the heavens, and smack his head repeatedly against the roof he was currently standing on. Instead, he opted to fall to his stomach as soon as possible, lest his young fanboy spot him, no matter how petty the act was for someone of his status. Crawling to the ledge of the roof, he spied on the red-headed goth as he floated in the air with that ridiculous helicopter-backpack contraption of his.

"Get ready for a beating Cueball, 'cos I'm here to take your Shen Gong Wu!" Jack grinned and cracked his knuckles, although it was pretty obvious that he wasn't going to do much fighting himself...

"Jack Spicer, prepare for a most humiliating defeat!" Omi cried and the other Xiaolin monks tensed in their stances as Jackbots appeared in a flock behind Jack. However, before they could even get the battle started, the door to the temple opened and out stepped one very interested miko.

"Oh?" she asked, entertainment lining her voice, "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" she asked, her rice hat-adorned head leaning to the side, showing that she was staring at Jack curiously. Chase glanced at the accessory for a moment but chose not to dwell on it, because Jack had turned his attention to her.

"Who are you?" Jack asked accusingly in his regular scratchy voice. He could hear Kagome snort at the young boy and he grinned, anticipating this battle now. Hmm, would Kagome scare the boy senseless with her mind tricks, or smack him around and send him home crying?

"_I _am your superior. Show some respect for your elder." She huffed, tucking her hands into her long sleeves. It was a simple move, one that belittled the teenager, but Chase could see the metallic glint through the fabric for an instant. He grinned: that little ingrate had _no _idea what he was getting into.

**"Jack…" **a familiar, whispy voice hissed. **"Be careful with this one, you idiot! Her aura seems so familiar, yet I can't place it!"** Wuya muttered as she floated next to the teen's head. Jack simply rolled his eyes and waved her away.

"Hah! Jack Spicer has _no _superiors, woman! You'd better scamper back into that little temple of yours so that I can beat these monks! I don't like hurting helpless little ladies, but when push comes to shove…" the arrogant brat gloated. He snapped his fingers and the Jackbots appeared in a straight row in front of him, their various weapon appendages making their appearance, whirring and whizzing, sparking dangerously as metal rubbed against metal at high speeds.

Chase resisted the urge to jump down onto the field and beat some sense into the bothersome boy.

Kagome, however, seemed to have no qualms with that very notion.

"Helpless little lady?" she hissed, her body shaking in anger. She gripped the rim of her hat. " _Scamper back into the temple?_" she growled. She pulled her hat slowly off of her head, her fingers gliding around the rims of hit. Chase was the only one who heard the quiet but tell-tale clicks.

**"Jack…!" **Wuya warned once again, but she was not heeded.

Her hair seemingly floating around her, a dark aura surrounded Kagome. She pulled her hat back behind her, as if preparing to throw it. Her eyes glinted and she did just that, holding it like a discus with her left arm, but fast like a frisbee.

Everyone present in the courtyard watched in awe as good-sized, sharp, slanted blades poked out of the edges of the rice hat as it flew, popping out only now because of the inertia. Almost in slow motion, the weaponized rice hat sliced clean through the line of Jackbots, defeating the usually time-consuming robots in a fraction of a second.

Jack turned to stare at the woman, but she was gone- well, he thought she was, until a foot slammed into his head, forcing him to the ground at an alarming rate. Needless to say, his face became better acquainted with his old friend the ground that day.

"_WOMAN?_! MY NAME IS KAGOME, NOT _WOMAN,_ YOU STUPID, COCKY, ANNOYING BRAT! I'M NOT A HELPLESS TWERP LIKE _YOU_—" the monks flinched as the list went on and on, Kagome's temper unleashing itself upon the poor villain. She ranted for a good five minutes about her name, his stupidity, and trivial other things, but what the hell? Her anger had been pent up lately and she needed something to vent on.

"OKAY OKAY OKAY!" the young super villain shouted, crumbling beneath her wall of harsh words. "I surrender! WUYA, HEEELLPP!" he was dismayed to find that Wuya shook her head furiously, declining to even move an inch to help her ward.

"**You idiot! I told you not to mess with her! And I **_**refuse **_**to go anywhere near that purity-high witch!" **Wuya screeched, her mask face showing immense fear. **"She was one of the people that helped seal me in that damned box from the start! I could **_**die **_**if I went near her, you fool!" **

Kagome watched the exchange, no longer ranting, having successfully vented her frustrations to the boy. She snorted at the groveling boy beneath her foot and lifted it, making him pause in his pathetic whining.

She picked him up by the scruff of the neck of his jacket and brought his face to hers, glaring dead straight into his flickering crimson eyes with her electrifying blue ones. If one looked closely, his cheeks seemed to become a lightly pink shade, but that was surely a trick of the light?

"You will _not _come back here to attempt to steal the Wu. You will _not _attempt to injure or harm my friends in any way. And you will most certainly _not _call me '_woman' _so disrespectfully ever again! Is that clear?" she stated more than asked, and he nodded dumbly.

She pushed Jack away from herself none to gently and he stumbled to the ground. As he scrambled to get up, he cast one more look over his shoulder at Kagome and shook his head, as if clearing his mind. He then proceeded to run out of the front gates, proverbial tail between his legs, and Wuya following close behind.

"Ahhh," Kagome hummed, stretching her arms above her head. "I feel so~ much better now! That took a lot off of my shoulders." She sighed in content. She turned to the wide-eyed monks.

"Well? Which one of you is going to get my hat?" she barely hid her amusement as she jabbed her thumb in the direction of the accessory, which was now stuck at the top of a tree hundreds of feet away off the property.

Chase watched as the monks came to their senses. Slowly, he moved to leave, but blinked. He carefully removed his hands from the deep dents in the roof of the building. When had that happened?

Chase frowned at his hands but stood to leave anyway, drawing out a last look at Kagome before leaping away.

**~!~**

Chase was on edge as Kagome examined the Shen Gong Wu.

He didn't know _what _was wrong with him, just that he was extremely anxious at the moment. His gut told him that something bad was going to happen- if not for the monks, then for him… or Kagome…

Chase furrowed his brows as the elders among the circle of meditating monks stayed calm throughout, only looking on knowingly. Did they know Kagome from the past? If so, why? Was it because she was practically the Xiaolin way personified? Or was it because Kagome made a habit of getting to know all the Xiaolin warriors? To Chase, this was a bad habit. A bad habit indeed.

"Interesting," Kagome murmured as the Eye of Dashi shifted around in her hands. Flipping it over slowly, she examined every inch of it in careful scrutiny. The rest of the Wu were scattered around her, some having been examined, others waiting for their turn.

"Kagome." Chase broke the quiet air. "What is this about? I though you knew every Wu." he said rhetorically. Of course she knew _every _Wu; Kami knows she'd been around long enough, probably even seeing the making of a few of them, as he had. Kagome didn't remove her eyes from the magical object to reply.

"These Wu –not all of them, but a good percentage of them- have a very familiar type of energy within them. I've been pondering this for centuries, but I've never been able to prove…" she trailed off quietly, too absorbed in her work to notice Chase's slight irritation.

Centuries? Why had she not told him about this then? Well, he knew that they hadn't really been on the best terms for the better part of those years, but still… it kind of hurt… Not really, but still!

Kagome hummed and he was brought out of his thoughts. Without warning, her hand started to glow pink and his features softened. Miko ki. However, he went stiff at the reaction the Shen Gong Wu was giving off.

The Eye of Dashi was glowing pink through the center ruby. Sparks of lightning and magic collided and reacted with each other, twining around the other in rigid formations and patterns. The monks murmured amongst themselves and Chase stared in interest and curiosity. Kagome seemed unfazed by this, though, and kept up with her treatment for a moment more.

"Knew it." She claimed brightly and pulled her hand away. Shaking her hand loosely, the leftover sparks either dissipated or fell to the floor, dying out.

Chase could feel that instinctual, gut feeling that something bad was going to happen. Again. Except now it was worse.

"I guess I owe you guys an explanation." She exclaimed and clapped her hands together, as if readying to tell a story. "Well, You all know the story of the jewel- my story?" she questioned and everyone in attendance nodded. Chase even dipped his head absently in agreement.

"Ah, well, it seems the jewel wasn't _entirely _whole." She laughed nervously and the surrounding monks gasped. "Although, it was to be considered; a jewel only the size of a golf ball, made of something akin to the vulnerability of glass? There were bound to be tiny shatters that wouldn't be recovered, that wouldn't be sensed by powerful beasts. Nothing ever cracks perfectly into pieces." She sighed, setting down the Eye of Dashi and rubbing her temples.

"I can't believe it took me this long, but I should've known that I was sent here for a reason. Parts of the jewel must've been brought here from across the sea somehow; whether it be by boat, person, or animal, etc., the unrecovered, minuscule bits are here. And they're part of the Shen Gong Wu."

Chase's stomach dropped.

Damn instincts. He should've left when he had the chance. Kagome stood, her joints making small pops as she got up.

"Well, I guess this means I'd better join the race for the Shen Gong Wu as well."

Chase was mainly inclined to run out of the building screaming at the moment.

**~!~**

Out in the woods adjoining the temple grounds, Chase kicked a small stone with his feet, a game that the called Raimundo had called "_hacky-sack_". Humans were such _odd _creatures.

He played around with the stone for a few minutes, then switched feet, then started bouncing it back and forth between his feet. He decided to try a trick the Brazilian monk had told him about and kicked it above his head, watching over his shoulder. He kicked it with his heel and it flew over his head again, to his front. He jumped, kicking it multiple times, slowly gaining altitude-

"Chase?"

Distracted, he lost his mid-air balance (which didn't make sense in the slightest anyway) and kicked the rock way over his head. He flipped backwards to glance at the woman that had gained his attention, but wasn't focused enough.

Chase landed head-first in the pond next to his practice site.

Spluttering, Chase surfaced and growled at the laughter from the small woman. He was dumbfounded for a moment, though, as a large red fish bounced on his head and slapped his face with its tail, then flopped back into the water. Kagome's laughter only became louder.

The Heylin warrior snarled, embarrassed, but Kagome smiled at him. She beckoned him out of the water, next to her.

Grumbling, Chase climbed out of the pond, sopping wet and feeling a hundred pounds heavier. He shook himself like a dog and Kagome squealed, holding up her hands to protect herself form the spray. He grinned at her and she rolled her eyes, but was still smiling. She patted the ground next to her and he lumbered over to her.

"Why," she sighed in exasperation, beginning to remove his outer layers of armor, "do you wear all of this all the time?" she shook her head, turning to him. She unlatched the cuffs from his wrists easily and leaned over his cross-legged form to unclamp his flashy shoulder pads.

"You never know what might come at you. You must be prepared for anything at all costs, even if it means no comfort or… _fashion_." He spat the word and Kagome giggled.

"Well that's not a very smart idea." She hummed, moving behind him and starting to unbuckle his chest plates. "This stuff weighs a ton. And it doesn't seem like you can move around in it very much… sometimes comfortability counts, you know." She spoke the wise words of girl-talk. Chase simply rolled his eyes.

"You really remind me of this old friend I knew. He was real uptight, and he was extremely powerful and all with a bunch of allies and underlings-" this stroked his ego just a bit "- but never _once _did I see him take _any _part of his armor or clothing off. Not voluntarily, anyway." Chase choked and jerked around, giving her a stern glare.

"What do you mean, _voluntarily?" _he hissed. Kagome stared at him as if he head three heads.

"Dummy!" she blushed, smacking upside the head gently. "I didn't mean it like _that! _I meant that one time his armor was broken, but other than that I'd never seen him take anything off at all. Sheesh." She grumbled. He was momentarily sidetracked by her untying his sash and weaving her hands loosely around his waist.

"That's a damn good thing, too." He muttered childishly, just thinking of multiple ways to skin this guy for stripping around _his _Kagome.

"What was that?" he faintly heard the amusement in her voice.

"Nothing, nothing." He mumbled and waved his hand dismissively.

A few moments of calm silence stretched between them as Kagome slowly stripped the heavier layers from Chase's body.

"Hmm. No wonder you're angry all the time. They make you wear an ugly green dress."

"It's not a dress, it's a _tunic!_" Kagome laughed. Chase crossed his arms over his chest, which was near bare, only a long-sleeved black shirt in the way.

Everything was peaceful between them until-

Chase froze and his eyes widened. _Ahhhh…_

Kagome gently raked her hands through his hair, untangling any small knots that he might've had. Her delicate fingers threaded themselves in and out of his long, silky black hair, working magic on it. She carefully brushed through his hair and tugged slightly in some places, in others, gently stroking and petting. Chase's eyelids started to droop.

'_That lucky bastard!' _Kagome inwardly griped. _'His hair __**is **__as soft as I thought it would be! And he doesn't even use conditioner… So jealous…!' _ Kagome blinked a little when he leaned up, into her touch. Smirking, she ran her fingers repeatedly through his hair, grinning wildly when he hummed in content.

"So, you like that?" she barely stopped herself from giggling and worked her way towards his roots, toying with the strands as she went. She started rubbing his head softly to petting him and he reacted animalisticly, a rumble sounding from within his chest.

"_Woman," _Chase groaned out, clenching his eyes shut as she teased him, "I _suggest _you stop tha-~Aaahaa~~~!" he moaned as she started rubbing his ears.

"Oh Chase, I had no idea you were so sensitive!" she giggled, rubbing the tips of his pointy, elf-like ears in slow, drawn-out motions. Barely ghosting her finger of the soft lobe, she smirked when she felt him stiffen and she sat up on her knees.

'_Dammit! She has no idea what she's doing…!' _Chase's thoughts were interrupted by Kagome breathing over his shoulder, tickling his neck.

'_That's it.'_

Spinning around in a sudden movement, Chase grabbed the small woman by the hips and held her, trapped, as he hovered much too close to her, eyes closed. He growled at her surprised gasp. He rested his forehead against hers and began to make his way down.

With half-lidded golden eyes, Chase's eyelashes fluttered against the soft skin of Kagome's cheek, tickling her. He quickly nuzzled beneath her chin, tilting her head up, and he moved onto her slender, pale neck. He inhaled deeply and found himself practically purring in content at her pure, clean smell. Like rain, he absently thought. Kagome remained still and stiff and he moved again, staring her in the eyes. he rubbed circles on her thighs with his thumbs, kneading the soft flesh.

"What's the matter, _Ka~go~me~? _I thought you would like this. After all, you did help undress me while I was soaking wet, helped me so slowly take off my clothes-" he chuckled darkly, making it sound much more scandalous than it was.

_**WHAM**_

Blinking from his spot on the ground, Chase lifted a hand to his stinging, red cheek.

Did she just _slap him?_

He stared blankly at the now standing woman, whose face- although turned away from his direct vision- he could practically see giving off heat. That shade of red was probably unhealthy.

"J-jerk…" she muttered half-heartedly, crossing her arms over her chest in a huff.

For the first time in a long, long, _long _time, Chase did something extraordinary, unexpected, heart-warming, and in no way was it cruel or sarcastic.

He laughed.

**~!~**

Kagome watched in awe as the monks worked together. Clay used his namesake, spinning it out of the ground, and Kimiko heated it up to the perfect temperature. She tentatively touched it with her hands and smiled as she shaped it, her hands smoothing over the drying clay as he spun it. While she worked, Omi would occasionally splash water on it, keeping it wet and pliable. Kimiko signaled that she was finished and back away for Raimundo, blasting it with hot air with the help of Kimiko. Finally Kagome stepped up to the small vase and placed her hands on it, allowing her miko ki to absorb into the dried clay.

Holding it up, Kagome smiled at the great craftsmanship of the small container.

"This is amazing!" the monks beamed in pride. "You could probably put Shen Gong Wu or small shards of the Shikon in here and it would keep them purified and out of the hands of those who wish to use them for evil! Not only that, but if I were to put the remains of a demon in this, it would be purified and destroyed because of the high spiritual and elemental energy!" Kagome exclaimed in awe and turned it over in her hands, examining it. "If only I had known about this sooner…!" she beamed to the monks and bowed to them, grinning, and they mimicked the gesture.

"Thank you so much, all of you! This is revolutionary in the ways of the Xiaolin and for monks and mikos everywhere. I owe you a great deal."

"Now now, Kagome, are you plotting against me right under my nose?" Chase called from his comfortable spot in a tree above her. Kagome snorted, smiling up at him.

"You know that I could beat you in a battle anytime, Chase, even without this to help me." She called to him playfully.

"Hn. She could defeat me, if she so wanted to. You, Heylin runt, are no match for her powers."

Kagome gasped and spun around, the vase falling from her hands. Chase tensed from his position in the tree, moving to get up, but the man had seemingly disappeared-

The monks gaped as a clawed hand daintily caught the vase an inch away from the ground. Slowly, the people present watched in shock as the hand moved slowly up, holding the vase by the base, raising it in front of the blinking miko's face.

Their eyes trailed up the simple white haori, along the muscular forearm to the dazzling face of the intruder. Surely, there was no other person that could rival this man's beauty? His face was slightly pale, but his gleaming golden eyes stood out more, as did the shockingly purple stripes on his cheeks, and the indigo crescent on his forehead. Even more surprising than that were his pointed, elf-like ears.

While scanning his body, one would notice that he wore a traditional white hakama with his white haori, and simple black shoes adorned his feet. This did not do him any justice though, for it was obvious that, even though he was extremely handsome as he was, he would look even more glorious in proper attire, whatever that may be. If one were to describe him in a solitary word, it would most likely be '_royalty_'.

These thoughts (via the monks and begrudgingly Chase), though, were disrupted by the brilliant, sneaky smile Kagome offered the inhumanly gorgeous man.

"Why, thank you very much, lord Sesshoumaru." She purred and the golden-eyed man, now dubbed Sesshoumaru, gave an exasperated snort, which she smiled at.

"Hn." He hummed and Kagome rolled her eyes. Gently, she took the vase from Sesshoumaru and tucked it in her arm.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, milord?" she crooned and Sesshoumaru growled at her. She was not one of his business associates who acted like that, but she liked to annoy him like they annoyed him. He shook his head.

"I came to see how much trouble you were causing." He intoned, suddenly giving her a stern glare. "Next time, choose someplace that is less expensive to fly to. This far inland in China…" he suddenly shuddered, the numbers floating back into his head and Kagome laughed.

Above them, a tree branch nearly snapped.

**~!~**

"It is always a pleasure to have such an esteemed visitor to our humble temple. We welcome you, Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands." Master Fung bowed low in respect to the taiyoukai, but he simply waved it off.

"It is my pleasure to meet the monk that has so patiently put up with this brat." He hummed.

"Hey!" Kagome shouted indignantly, pouting, and Master Fung chuckled.

"Oh, quite the contrary, milord. Lady Kagome has been most helpful in both studies and training with the monks, as well as a large help around the temple." He commended and Kagome looked at the lord triumphantly. Sesshoumaru raised an elegant eyebrow.

"Is that so?" he hummed thoughtfully, looking to the miko. "Then I shall have to invite your monks to my estate sometime, if it helps Kagome clean." He nodded to Fung. Master Fung grinned as Kagome blushed deeply and glared at the youkai.

**~!~**

"What is your connection to the silver-haired lord?"

Kagome blinked at the question, staring up at Chase. She pulled the small bucket out of the river and set it down, turning to the Heylin warrior.

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head in an adorably questioning way. Chase would have none of it though.

"Don't play games with me, Higurashi! You know what I mean!" he snapped, glaring at her. In the back of her mind, she rolled her eyes. Ahhhh.

She opened her mouth to retort, but a hand was placed upon her head and she blinked up at the culprit.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked rhetorically and turned to Kagome, leaning down so that his nose almost touched hers. His hand fell from her head to cup her cheek.

"I do hope you do not intend to stay here much longer. Rin and Shippo miss you terribly." He spoke and Kagome took on an apologetic look, even though she was still rolling her eyes on the inside.

"Ah, tell them I'm sorry for disappearing for so long. Could you also tell them that I'll bring them back souvenirs if they behave while I'm gone? I'm sure that will stop them from bugging you too much." She smiled knowingly. Sesshoumaru growled lowly a rested his forehead against hers.

"This Sesshoumaru is more than capable of taking care of our pups. But I shall tell them anyway." He closed his eyes and pecked her forehead. "Make sure you do not spend too much time here." He cast a glare in Chase's direction and disappeared, leaving a slight breeze in his wake. Kagome shook her head. Such a melodramatic. She turned to Chase, only to see that he was looking away from her. She blinked… he looked _hurt_ and… _heartbroken_?

Deciding to give him a break, Kagome smiled and walked over to him. She placed her hand on Chase's shoulder and waited until her looked at her. She inhaled sharply. She could almost see _tears _behind those golden eyes. Had it really hurt _that _much to think that she was with another man?

"To answer your question, before we were interrupted, Sesshoumaru is my brother." Chase did a double take, staring at her, a disgusted look on his face. A tic formed on her head.

"…_Excuse me?_"

"Hey! Don't look at me like that! Sessh is my adoptive brother, and Rin is his adopted daughter. Shippo is _my _adoptive son. Altogether they are _our _children, as in the plural!" She frowned at him, crossing her arms. "Honestly, did you _really _think I was with that pompous jerk?" she smiled fondly.

Chase visibly relaxed, though it would be hard to see if you didn't know the Heylion warrior well. His shoulders loosened up and the furrow of his brows slackened. His eyes became less clouded and his stature straightened.

"Well excuse me! All I heard about this beforehand was "our pups" and "my brother"! Besides, the way he acted so fondly with you…_euch_." Chase made a retching sound and shook his head rapidly, as if clearing bad thoughts from his head. Kagome fumed, her temper letting go.

"Well _exc-yuuuuse me! _It's not like he was my fake brother before, when you and I were living together! Oh great, now you guys have switched roles. This is just _great! _Hey, why are you plugging your ears? Oh, you son of a-!"

Laughter rang out through the temple grounds, something that the monks were hearing more and more often…

**~!~**

Kagome smiled and bowed to Master Fung, who repeated her actions.

"It's been most wonderful having you stay here, Kagome. I hope that you may come back soon for another visit." He smiled at her and she nodded.

"Definitely. These monks have been great during my stay. This place has already become like a second home to me." She sighed and ran her hand along the wood of the door frame. "I'm gonna miss this place." She murmured, looking across the grounds longingly. She flashed a teary smile to Master Fung and hugged him. He blinked, surprised, but smiled fondly and patted her back, hugging her back loosely.

Turning out of his grip, Kagome walked over to the monks, who were standing in a line.

She hugged Kimiko, saying, "The next time I come back, I'll teach you all about demon slayers." to which the young girl nodded eagerly. She hugged Raimundo next.

"You remind me of this perverted monk I once knew. Let's just hope you don't turn out to be like him, the last thing we need is another one." They laughed.

"If he even hints at it, I'll keep him in line, Kags." Kimiko grinned and winked at her. She laughed.

Next she hugged Clay, a little surprised at how gentle the big cowboy was.

"I'll make sure t' practice harder than a pig in a pie eatin' contest." He blushed when she giggled. Finally she was knocked backwards by a teary-eyed Omi. He pouted so hard she thought his lip was going to split, and a waterfall of tears worked down his face.

"Pllleeeaaassseee don't go!" he sniffled, and Kagome nearly "aww"ed. Instead she opted to hug him back just as tightly, patting his head.

"Don't worry, Omi-kun. I'll definitely come back soon."

"To watch me become a most amazing Xiaolin warrior?"

"To watch _all _of you become amazing Xiaolin warriors."

She gently grabbed Dojo and let him slither up her arm. He hugged her head and she giggled, patting him gently.

"I'll see you later, Dojo. Just make sure you don't get yourself killed before I can see you." She giggled and the dragon rolled his eyes fondly.

Grabbing her rice hat, but not putting it on, she smiled and walked to the entrance to the temple grounds. She turned one last time to look at the monks and was suddenly hit with a wave of nostalgia. Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kirara suddenly flashed in the place of Kimiko, Raimundo, Clay, Omi and Dojo. Her lips parted in surprise, her heart tugging in her chest. It was all so familiar…

"Goodbye everyone! I'll come back to see you soon!" she waved to them, smiling when they waved back, shouting their own farewells. She sighed and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She hopped off of the last step leading out of the temple, taking her first step on her trip into the world again.

She walked for a little while, passing the townsfolk who smiled and waved politely, those who knew her legend bowed politely and she mimicked them. For about a half an hour, she passed through the town, occasionally stopping here and there, until she was outside of the gates and onto the dirt forest path that she knew would lead her out, far into grass fields where the well resided.

Pausing for a moment to lean against a tree and get the pebble out of her shoe, she looked up into the branches.

"You can come out now, you know. We're far enough out that the villagers won't see." She spoke to seemingly no one.

Abruptly, a person jumped out of the tree above her. Chase snorted.

"How did you know I was still there, that I didn't run away?" he asked, patiently waiting for her. She let her foot fall to the ground and walked back onto the path, smiling.

"Because, jumping around in those trees? It scares all the birds away. I knew you were there because there were no birds chirping." She hummed thoughfully. "Besides, I can still detect your aura, and you still want me to take that sutra off of your neck. Where else would you be?" she grinned when he scowled at her logic.

Setting off again at an easy pace, they walked mainly in peaceful silence, chatting about this or that every once and a while. They talked about the weather; wasn't it such a nice day out? They spoke of the monks; what would they do while she was away? They even talked of the Shen Gong Wu; Kagome spouted her plans for them and Chase held his head high, huffily boasting that he didn't care, because he was strong enough without the dumb objects. Kagome laughed at this.

"Promise me that if you find any, you'll either let the monks take them, or you'll keep them until my return?" she asked playfully, pouting. Chase looked away from her cute expression, huffing and trying to hide the faint warmth in his cheeks.

"That would be going against those that I have associated myself with. I am Heylin." He said rather bitterly. He slowed down a bit, but Kagome grinned and looped her arm in his, making him stare at the joined appendages. She made him speed up a little.

"Well, it's not the first time you've broken the rules, right?" she teased. "Besides, they associated _themselves _with you. It's not like you need them, or want to be around them. Last time I checked, you have as much contempt for them as Sesshoumaru used to have for humans." She giggled at the look on his face, as if he had just bitten into a lemon.

"You have a point, Kagome. But don't associate _me _with that… _dogboy_." He deadpanned and Kagome laughed, making him brighten. He smiled ever so lightly.

They started up a lively conversation, switching topics about as rapidly as they walked. They lapsed into storytelling and wise-cracking, advice-giving and gossiping. They told jokes about those that they knew, laughed and smiled, relaxed and just had a good time. They had both needed that, they would think when they both looked back upon that moment. It had been a moment in time when the world had been just theirs, no Xiaolin and Heylin to try and defeat him, no youkai to try and capture or kill her. It was all peaceful around them: as if there weren't a problem in the world that could bother them.

Time passed so quickly that they soon found themselves back in the grassy field where she had first appeared nearly a month ago. She sighed silently as the well came into sight. Chase must have noticed the accursed thing as well, because he went silent for the last few minutes of their small journey.

Coming upon it, Kagome glanced over the rim to look into it's depths for a moment, glaring at the inky shadows.

'_It's going to take me far away now.' _ She sighed loudly this time and sat on the edge, turning to look at Chase. He too was glaring at the well, although his thoughts were slightly different than hers.

'_It's going to take her far away from me now.' _His hands clenched into fists and he glared at the near-rotting wooden structure. It was silent for a moment until Kagome stood, looking at Chase.

She stifled another sad sigh and placed her hand on his neck, stilling him. She cautiously pushed her powers out of the sutra until it was no longer dangerous. She tugged at it, and it fell limply off of his neck, dissolving into purified dust that was carried away on the wind.

Wishing to stay a bit longer, Kagome leaned her head on Chase's chest, careful not to hit her head on the hard metal. She was a bit surprised when he warily wrapped his arms around her. He only held her loosely for a moment, though, and was soon clutching her to himself, Kagome hugging him back just as much.

They stayed silent for a moment, listening to the birds chatter in the distance, the soft sway of the grass in the breeze, feeling their hair swish back and forth with the wind.

Pulling back from him slightly, still in his arms, she tenderly brushed her fingers across his neck where the sutra once stood out.

"What's going to happen now?" she murmured, wondering if they were going to go back to being enemies, even after all that. Even after all of that time they had spent together so peacefully. What was going to happen when she left Chase with his powers?

Chase growled and pulled her back to him.

"_This _is what's going to happen." He huffed and pulled her up to him, crashing their lips together in a searing kiss.

Kagome gasped, unintentionally letting him slip his tongue into her mouth, fiercely dominating her in just a few seconds. He heatedly explored every crevice of the moist cavern, not wanting either of them to forget this, this wonderful thing that they shared, not anytime soon. Kagome was quickly reduced to a pile of quivering mush and she barely managed to stand, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him. She moaned and Chase barely refrained from stealing her away and having his way with her right then and there.

After a few moments, when a blasted thing called air was needed to continue on with their lives, they panted heavily. Kagome gasped and rested her forehead against his as he set her down, inadvertently having picked her up, making one of her shoes fall off. Their eyes were closed, but Chase let his slowly flutter open, glad that he did so when he saw her blushing red face. Her eyelashes tickled his cheeks and he growled playfully.

Kagome blinked her eyes open and glared at him half-heartedly. She weakly smacked his chest plate and broke into a maddeningly sweet smile that he just wanted to smash his lips back onto.

"You heartless jerk," she breathily laughed, "now I'll have to go back and live without that for a while." He smirked and nuzzled his nose against hers.

"Be glad that you got that much, Kagome. I was thinking of letting you live without it until you get back." He growled low and she smiled. She took a step back and out of his arms, resting one knee against the rim of the well. She made a suggestive pose to tease him and Chase couldn't help but sound out a predatory growl and take a step forward.

"Well then, I'll have to be the heartless one now and make you wait for all _this_," Kagome hummed provocatively and grinned at his longing expression as she let herself fall backwards into the well, giggling as the blue light flashed around her, signaling her escape.

"You heartless woman," He chuckled. "Making me wait for you after you tease me like that." With a low, content growl and a smirk, Chase hooked his hands behind his head and started to stroll back to his own home.

**~!~**

MCD: Yosh! Finished it! That, my friends, is an achievement in itself :D Thanks for all the reviews and stuff guys, and I hope you liked it as much as I like writing it~

AND I'M SORRY FOR THE JACK BASHING. Kami knows I love him, but I couldn't make him OOC XP


	3. More of an author's note than anything

Hey guys, long time no see!

As you may or may not have known, I've been on hiatus for... well, longer than I'm happy about.

I've had some personal troubles this past year / year and a half or so, but I think I might just be getting back into writing?

Now, I can't promise anything, especially with school coming up in two weeks -cries-

However, there is one idea that I am _dying_ to do:

_Hearts Of Old_, or possibly _Frayed Hearts Of Old_, a prequel to _Heartless._

__It's been on my mind for a while now, and so has this account, which I decided I don't think I want to give up on. I've been in a better state for a little while now, with time to clear my head and think. I remembered how much I _loved_ to write, and I want that old passion back. So, I want to know what you guys would think of that? Thanks,

Lots of love,

-Sara, M.C.D.


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